It’s Christmas time. Many venues are dark this week because everyone is spending time with loved ones, and I’m hoping that you are all doing the same. Reflect upon the time that we have had this year, look forward to the things that are coming next year, and wish a
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Posted December 23, 2015in Sound Notes
Posted December 23, 2015in Sound Circuit
Auld Lang Syne
Once one of the hardest-working, most popular bands in the city, The Poison Control Center, has been largely defunct for the past three years, as the band’s component members have become busier with other projects. The group pops up now and again at special events, but has not debuted any
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Posted December 23, 2015in Center Stage
Double-dip uproarious
Des Moines is offering a double-dip of comedy right through the double holiday. Downtown there’s a one-man show — “man,” more or less — and on the east side there’s a busy musical revue. One’s a touring show, the other entirely homegrown. So, how do you like your yucks? “Dixie’s
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Posted December 23, 2015in Art News
Restorations, expansions and horrors
Renaissance and expansion dominated the local art scene in 2015. The most impressive new architectural achievements were restorations. American Enterprise Group (AEG) reopened its historic Sixth Avenue headquarters thanks to a package of incentives put together by city and the state organizations. Some $30 million later, a fully restored Gordon
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Posted December 23, 2015in Civic Skinny
Merry Christmas!
Twelve drummers drumming… …for Sara Boese at Polk County and Sarai Rice at the Des Moines Area Religious Council, who want to feed the hungry…and John Mauro and the Board of Supervisors, who will get that done…and shame on those who look the other way…and for the volunteers at Bidwell
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Posted December 23, 2015in Your View
Don’t be fools
The Republicans, led by President Bush, whipped Americans into a frenzy of fear following 9/11, leading to a disastrous ground war in Iraq. Many Americans were fooled into war by the use of the manufactured evidence of weapons of mass destruction. Bush’s Iraq War opened a cancerous wound that has
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Posted December 23, 2015in Your Money
Paid for by taxpayers in…
Paid on Dec. 14 Amount: $914.44 To: Plumb Supply Company For: Various products Amount: $62,192.62 To: Union Pacific Railroad Company For: Flashing lights and gates installation Amount: $48.07 To: Midwest Alarm Services For: Various services Amount: $206.41 To: ASI For: Window signs and installation Amount: $406.09 To: Register Media For:
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Posted December 23, 2015in Tech Talk
The death of shaky video
In the mid 2000s, the journalism industry was abuzz about the prospect of citizen journalists — independent producers who would research topics and illuminate major concerns in the world. Activists and politically fueled blogs had already been up and running for some time, but the real interest sprouted from video
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Posted December 23, 2015in What the?
Think you’re funny? Send us your best caption… Email to: celeste@dmcityview.com This week’s winner: “Promoting a new holiday peppermint candy — they even make your feet smell good.” -Dennis Moore Runners-up: “This was from a lost ‘Addams Family’ Christmas episode that introduced us to Thing’s cousin Gertrude.” -Jim McCool “A
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Posted December 23, 2015in Film Review
Awake at last
Let’s get it out of the way up front: “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” is a fantastic Star Wars film. Whether or not this makes it a great film in general depends largely on how you view the franchise. But within the context of its peers, there is no doubt
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